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Brad Flory | brad@lifeinplaid.com

About Me:

After 27 years covering just about every sort of news in Jackson, I recently became an official geezer who left the world of full-time employment for the coveted status of "contractor." My job, on a contractual basis, is spouting opinions and award-winning drivel as a columnist. I am married, have two children, and suffer from a lifelong addiction to the Detroit Lions.

Brad's Lunch Bunch is still alive and kicking seven years later. We've donated to food pantries in Jackson County for 82 consecutive months, contributing nearly a half-million dollars. It's astounding. Full story »

When I go to the doctor, someone takes my blood and tells me to pee in a cup. I have no idea where these fluids go after leaving my body, and no one who inspects them asks me anything about the bill. Full story »

For two months between August and October, Randy Heselschwerdt used ingenuity, patience, and night-vision goggles to trap a herd of about 120 cows that reverted to wild instincts and a violent hatred of human contact. Full story »

A skilled labor shortage already exists around Jackson, and most new jobs created by 2020 will require certification or some other training after high school instead of a four-year college degree. Full story »

Keeping the engine running takes patience and secret tricks, but keeping the rest of the machine in one piece has required duct tape, pop-rivets, epoxy glue, reinforcing sheet metal, and inner tubes. Full story »

One mistake of my career path has been a consistent failure to work for bosses who pay people to quit. The closest I've seen are relatively modest early-retirement and "buyout" offers designed to cut staff. I can blame only myself. Full story »

Political tactics to bypass the will of the people have grown depressingly common, and I don't imagine for one second those tactics will be contained to any single political party if the trend continues. Full story »

Fred Bahlau's first parachute jump into combat came at D-Day. Flak was thick and buildings burned below, but Bahlau said he never felt fear. "You don't do much thinking because, buddy, you're looking for that ground," he said. Full story »

Jackson's downtown has been in decline as a retailing center for decades, and that trend appears to be accelerating again. At the same time, leisure and entertainment places are opening to expand the supply of food, drink, and music. Full story »

During the controversy-filled lame-duck session of 2012, Michigan's Legislature overhauled rules to generally make recall more difficult. In less than a month, they rammed through bills gutting a right we had for 104 years. Full story »